The Children of Fairy Tail
by Redwriter17
Summary: The Children of Fairy Tail are tired of being forgotten. It's time for the world to change. In the generation after the original story of Fairy Tail, a Quest of Unknown Circumstances was given to a specific person, a quest which only they could complete. It begins with The Choice. The Choice that will forever affect the Children of Fairy Tail.
1. The Last Descendant

**_Full Summary_**

_The children of Fairy Tail are tired of being forgotten. It's time for the world to change. _

_In the generation after the original story of Fairy Tail unfolded, a Quest of Unknown Circumstances was unknowingly given to a specific person, a quest which only they could complete. _

_Leila is the daughter of two famous, powerful mages. For over a year, her parents had gone missing on a dangerous quest. It was not unusual for them to go on such a quest together. It was unusual for them not to return. Soon, the other members of Fairy Tail have also disappeared in order to find them. But every time they go, they never come back. Now that every last famous member of Fairy Tail is gone, all that's left is their children. Children that have not yet had the chance to change their world._

_Meanwhile, Leila has changed somehow. She is not the same person she used to be. Maybe it's because she has a secret. It's odd what keeping secrets can do to humans, isn't it? This story begins with the Choice. The Choice that will forever affect the Children of Fairy Tail._

**Disclaimer: Oh, how stupid. Of ****_course _****I don't own Fairy Tail. (Rolls eyes.)**

**Author's Note:**

This is my first fanfic, so PLZ review. I really want to know what others think. :)

Anyway, I'm new to this, so I hope I've done this at least a _smidge _how you're supposed to.

Oh, and warning: There is a LOT of SWEARING.

Thanks for your time! XD

~Redwriter17

* * *

_**Part One: The Choice**_

They intended to change the world. They wanted a better life for their children. But they had no idea they'd never be back. All it took was a question, which traveled by word of mouth, and all it took was a hand, which reached out to take a slip of paper. And when they did not return, they unknowingly left another quest, a mission that only one other person could complete.

* * *

_Thirteen years ago_

* * *

Under the shadows of night, in the place of doom for the righteous, two persons spoke of what was to become of the future of their world.

"It is as I expected," Deroth smirked, his red, unfeeling eyes sparkling maliciously.

"_What? _But Master, we cannot afford to ignore such threats. After all, our plan is to _eliminate _them."

Deroth sighed at his overly-excited follower. "All in good time," he said, waving her words aside carelessly.

She did not take too kindly to this.

"Let me remind you that this child will have the potential to ruin every last one of your plans. Rena can already detect it's power. And have you forgotten the prophesy? _Wielder of fire spirits, the destruction of Zeref's—"_

"I know _every last word _of the prophesy," Deroth snarled, causing her to jump slightly back.

"Then please tell me you have a mass murder planned," she remarked sarcastically.

Deroth began laughing hysterically at this. "As if I had not a plan in the _first place!" _he sputtered, spitting in her face. She wiped it off her face disgustedly, then turned back to her currently insane, evil master, glaring.

"Then you are going to need a change of plans. Let us not forget that Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfilia are some of the most powerful wizards in history, and they are only the first of possible others to pass down the name of Fairy Tail."

Deroth's vivid red eyes flashed dangerously. "Do not forget that I am the last remaining descendant of the most powerful wizard in history. Even if I do not grace you with the knowledge of my plan, it will be the end of Fairy Tail forever."

* * *

_Present Day_

* * *

_Leila_

What were you _thinking? _What were you thinking? What were you…Never mind. It doesn't matter now. Maybe it never will. Because you'll never be back. Because I'll never be able to see you again. It's over.

These terrible, vicious, spiteful thoughts swirl around in my head, never ceasing to remind me of my own betrayal, which hides within every word that I won't allow to leave the realm of mentality and into the physical world, unless I am totally alone. It's a frustration that refuses to expire, that I can never forget, no matter how much I want to. I want it to leave me. I want it to turn away and never come back, but it's stuck to the front of my forehead like an invisible note glued with invincible tape, where I can feel it, constantly pestering me, but I can never take it off.

I want to scream. I want to hurt something, _anything._ I want to crush whatever is trying so _damn_ hard to break me apart, spit in its face, burn it alive, and laugh my _freaking_ head off. At the same time, this desire is scaring me. It's tearing me from the inside out, and it takes everything I have in me not to suddenly throw myself on the floor and writhe in internal pain and anguish.

_What is _wrong_ with me?_ I wondered. I looked up at the sky through the open window of my bedroom. _I wonder if they can hear me now. _

"HEY! You can hear me, right?" I shouted at the clouds rolling through the wind like tumbleweeds. The birds chirping in the trees around the neighborhood fled the scene as soon as the loud words had left my mouth, as if they carried some kind of curse they didn't want.

"I _hope _you see what you've done to me!" I threatened angrily. Silence flooded the streets, as if no one cared. It was probably true.

"UGH!" I shrieked with frustration, wringing my clenched fist at the blue expanse floating over the earth.

"Stop it! Just _stop! _I can't _take it! _You're _ignoring _your own _daughter!"_ I shrieked, feeling myself lose control as my breaths became ragged from the exertion of my shrieks and screams. Still panting, I slowly lowered my head onto the window railing, my arms crossed, supporting my neck.

"Who am I kidding," I said out loud, talking to myself. Again. "You can't hear me. You're in hell. Only people who go to heaven can hear crazy humans who talk to themselves on Earth."

I sighed. My panting had stopped. "I sound like a lunatic."

"Maybe that's because you _are_."

Huh. That wasn't me. At least I thought. The voice I heard was filled with anger and annoyance, but at the moment, my frustration had suddenly died out. "Well, they always say it's okay if you talk to yourself, but when you start talking back, you've finally cracked," I stated nonchalantly, all past irritation gone. It was a wonder how fast my emotions could change.

"I think you cracked a long time ago, Leila."

I started to feel sleepy for some odd reason. The sun was just so _warm_ right then, reaching down onto my bowed head and seeping through my skin. My eyes drooped. I yawned. "I'm sure you're right. It's _their _damn fault, though."

"_Well," _the-other-me-who-didn't-seem-to-be-me observed, rather sarcastically, _"This _is certainly different from what I'm used to hearing. Of course, you never say _anything_ to me anymore, so I wouldn't know."

"Mmmm," I moaned sleepily, "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm always having these thoughts and you know it. I only hide it when there are people around."

"Oh, so I suppose I'm not even a _person _to you now."

I froze. _Hold on a second._

I thought for a few moments. Then realization awoke in my irritatingly slow brain. All at once, my head shot up, banging _gracefully _against the top of the window pane, while I cried out, _"Holy shi—OW!"_ My hands flew up to press against the flaming pulses of pain resounding on my head where it had hit the window.

"Leila! Are you okay?"

I decided I would have to murder the owner of that supposedly-concerned voice in about two full seconds.

"_Leila!"_

_One._

"_LEILA!"_

That's it. _Two. _

And Hurricane Leila pounces upon her unsuspecting prey.

The wind whipped past me as fast as lightning as I fell with a purpose, down from the window I'd previously hit my head on and onto my target: Neil.

I was laughing maniacally before I even hit him as I flew through the air, and when he finally realized what I was doing—

"WHAT THE—"

_SLAM._

I crushed into him from the sky.

"_OOF!" _We both grunted at the impact. I'd fallen overtop of him in an awkward, flattening position. Quicker than he could say anything, I grabbed the front of his shirt, wrenched him up, and _punched _him square in the face, throwing him three feet backward.

"_Mmmf!"_

He lay there, dazed for a few seconds while I slowed my panting breaths, my arms tight by my sides, fingers clamped shut, and mad as _hell._

Neil's teeth were clenched as he sat up and stared at me. "What the hell was _that _for?"

"Oh, you want to know what it was _for,_ do you?" What an _idiot. _

"_Yeah!"_

"_It's for freaking _eavesdropping, _jerk!"_

Neil whipped his body up so suddenly I didn't have time to react, and got right up in my face. "You were talking to _yourself."_

I fumed, about to snap at him, but he interrupted me. "No, I didn't come here to argue with you, Leila! I came to talk."

"About _what? _Why would I even want to even _talk_ to you? I didn't invite you here. Leave me _alone!"_

I turned on my heel, flipping my hair back as I did so, and started climbing up the outside of my house.

The-jerk-face-I-didn't-even-want-to-name sighed. "You _know _you're not supposed to do that."

I didn't even look at him. I just kept climbing.

"Your parents would be disappointed in you, Leila," he said disdainfully, uttering what he _had to know_ was the word that you aren't supposed to say around me. _Ever. _I froze, my hand hardening against the wall I was clutching. I turned to him slowly, staring at his hard, unforgiving, despicable face.

_"What did you say?"_

Not waiting for an answer, I threw myself off the wall, landing on the toes of my feet and falling to my knees, then throwing myself up and charging at that conceited _monster. _Not thinking clearly, I did something that, in my sane state of mind, I would regret. I summoned my Demon of Destruction.

In an instant, a figure clothed in fire accompanied my side, and I need only have briefly desired it and it attacked the fiend before me.

I didn't even feel sorry while I watched Neil scream as his face crumpled in pain. But it was only for a moment. By the next second, a familiar, hateful, fire-proof sword fell to the ground.

"UGH!" I shrieked at it, kicking it mercilessly until it eventually rose into the air and began tearing at my fire-friend.

"STOP!" I screamed in annoyance. "_HELL!_ DON'T YOU KNOW IT WON'T DO ANYTHING IF YOU KEEP TRYING TO KILL IT WITH THAT _WIMPY_ SWORD OF YOURS?"

It was merely flying through my fire demon without any progress. It stopped at the sound of my voice.

"I _know _that! I just want you to listen to me for _two _seconds!"

"LIKE _HELL _I'M GOING TO LISTEN TO YOU! DON'T YOU _EVER _SAY _ANYTHING _ABOUT MY PARENTS _AGAIN!"_

_"Please, _Leila! There's a lot more going on than you're letting others know about. I can _tell."_ His voice was so earnest. So pleading. So _lying. _Which made everything a hundred times harder.

My silence, my sharp, pissed-off, deadly silence, was all the answer Neil needed.

"Come on, Leila. I _know _you're upset. In fact, _everyone _knows. You can't fool us; we're your _family._ You need to talk to someone about your parents' disap— "

That_ word_, _dammit!_

He should know better. He should've known that one wrong word could turn me on in two seconds flat. That boy needs to be taught a lesson about girls.

I lunged for him. But, although he doesn't know a fricking thing about _girls, _he certainly knows a thing or two about _tactics. _

The damn sword slid through the air like a butter knife, heading at a hundred miles per hour towards—

"NEIL! YOU DAMN—"

I already swear enough. You don't need to know what I called him.

Seething with rage, I _hopped_ up the wall of my house (well, no, I climbed, but I was so mad and so fast I may have well fallen upwards, as if gravity were celebrating Opposite Day), and swung though the window.

My demon of fire had been completely forgotten, so naturally, it disappeared. But even as I spoke, another demon in the form of a snake slithered around both my arms.

The sword was gone, and instead I came up to find Neil, standing with his (I laughed maniacally as I observed this) _burned arms _crossed. (Don't ask why he can stand my fire burns. It'll piss me off if I try to explain.)

He frowned. "There's something wrong with you."

I laughed again in the same manner.

_"Really wrong."_

"Your _point?" _I asked indifferently, pretending to observe my nails because I needed to focus on _anything _else.

"You shouldn't do this to us. You have something to live for."

"Like _what?"_

"Your _family. _The _Guild. _Everyone you know."

"And I care _why?"_

Disappointment played around the curves of Neil's face. "I'd _hope _you'd know why you care, Leila."

Ouch. That bit me; in fact, it bothered me a _lot._ I glared at him.

"What do you know anyway, Neil? I said I wanted you to leave. Did you think I didn't mean it? Get out of my room, and out of my _house!"_

"No," he said obstinately.

_"Do you want me to make you?"_ Venom dripped from my mouth, and the fire curling on my arms flared threateningly.

Neil didn't even flinch. Damn, this guy really knows how to get to me.

My demeanor changed immediately. I wavered. My lip shivered, and all of a sudden, I saw my world melt and felt like giving up. I fell to the floor in a curled-up ball, a strangled-sounding cry escaping my throat. _Nothing was fair anymore. And nothing ever would be._

My whole body shuddered, and even though I fought it, I finally let myself start bawling.

Neil's demeanor changed also. He seemed uncomfortable, which, if I wasn't so distressed, I would have found profound satisfaction in. Five long, entire seconds of me covering my face in my hands, feeling the tears fall down my face and hearing wretched sounds coming from my throat with Neil staring at me in a slightly surprised manner, passed. Then he resumed his cool, but he no longer seemed so obstinate, and tentatively approached me. It took only three steps. Then he crouched down to where I was.

"Hey," he whispered, his voice soothing. Or at least attempting to soothe _me. _

"You've done _enough," _I croaked. "I never want to see you again. Go _away!"_

"I can't."

_"Why? _Why in _hell? _I want. To be. ALONE! IS THAT TOO MUCH TO _ASK?"_

He didn't answer, but he did try to put his arms reassuringly around me. Emphasis on _try. _I shoved him off me, stomped out of my room, and headed for the shower. Not that I ever actually bathed nowadays, but it was the only thing I could think of to get _him _out of the picture.

As soon as Neil saw me walking, he caught my arm and demanded, "Where are you going?"

"The _shower, _idiot."

Neil let go of my arm, surprised. _"Why?"_

_"Why the hell do you think?"_ And I continued my stomps to the bathroom. He _followed. _

I turned around angrily. "Stop freaking following me, okay?"

"Wait—"

"Wait, _what?"_

"Leila, you can't—"

"UGH! YOU _PERV! _DON'T EVEN _THINK _ABOUT WATCHING ME!_ GET THE HELL OUT!" _I screeched, catching him off guard (totally on purpose) and succeeding in causing him to flee the room, saying as he left, "Okay, okay!" I think he muttered something else, but I didn't hear it. I didn't care.

When he was gone, I sighed. God, right now, my life is hell.

* * *

_Neil_

I sat on the roof, watching the sky as the sun slid under the earth, taking the light of day with it, leaving shades and drapes of color in the sky. I sighed, thinking about _her. _Leila. _Why _was she so _stupidly _stubborn? Didn't she know there were people who cared about her? Didn't she know how many people were worrying about her? Did she even care?

I sighed. Of course she did. She alienated herself from everyone she knew on purpose, so they wouldn't feel her pain. When was she going to understand that what she's doing only makes it worse? We know what's going on, and it doesn't help when we have suffering shoved in our faces. But even though it's hard to deal with, we're family. We help each other through the good and the bad. I felt so concerned and worried and crushed that Leila couldn't see that. She needed help. I just had to find out how I could do that for her.

It started about a year ago, when Leila's parents had decided to go on an SS-Class Quest. By _themselves._ It wasn't as if anyone was worried. They were known for their power and strength, after all. Well, so were _mine, _now that I thought about it, and I briefly grinned— until I remembered that they were gone, too, just like hers. Leila's parents had been gone for a long time, longer than anyone expected them to. After about six months, my parents were the first to go after them. When they didn't return, more successful mages followed, until they all had gone and left the next generation of Fairy Tail on their own. Us. We, the poor, helpless, misunderstood and underappreciated children of Fairy Tail.

But not useless. Never. We had powers, and we were strong. Leila could conjure as many as a hundred fire beings. I could turn into any weapon imaginable, as well as retain its material protection. Thank God. Without it, Leila would've burned me to a crisp by now. One of my swords, after all, is fireproof. There was also Jane, Hayde, Li, Mereda… Well, let's just say Fairy Tail wasn't exactly empty, even after our parents were gone. Leila acting like this didn't make anything better.

_Click! _Without realizing it, I'd kicked one of the roof blocks off in frustration. Oops. _Someone's _gonna be mad.

"_NEIL FERNANDES!"_

Yep. I'm dead.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

This was fun to write, although it took me FOREVER! ;D (I LOVE smiley-faces, by the way. Can you tell?)

Oh, and PLZ REVIEW! OR ELSE...XD

P.S. Remember that ANYTHING GOES. Literally. You can swear your flipping tongue off and I won't mind. But if you insult me, well, yeah, I guess that would kinda bother me. If you write anything REALLLLY BAD then I'll just let you know. So… Use your discretion!

* * *

**Preview**

_Next on the children of Fairy Tail…_

Chapter 2: Forgotten Message

"I found, hidden inside the chestnut drawers, a message, written in the blackest ink, entitled:

_Quest of Honor_

_Type: SS-Class_

It was dated exactly one year ago."


	2. The Forgotten Message

_The Children of Fairy Tail_

Chapter Two: The Forgotten Message

* * *

_Previously_

* * *

_Deroth's vivid red eyes flashed dangerously. "Do not forget that I am the last remaining descendant of the most powerful wizard in history. Even if I do not grace you with the knowledge of my plan, it will be the end of Fairy Tail forever."_

_…_

_But even though it's hard to deal with, we're family. We help each other through the good and the bad. I felt so concerned and worried and crushed that Leila couldn't see that. She needed help. I just had to find out how I could do that for her._

* * *

**Disclaimer: Do I really need one of these, or is it like, excessive?**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Is it just me, or did I forget to describe my characters?

Lol. _No, _actually.

**Everything is purposeful. Mwahahaha. :D**

Okay. I'm done creeping myself out. :D

Oh, and thank you for the reviews, y'all!

* * *

_**Part One: The Choice**_

_**Chapter 2: The Forgotten Message**_

* * *

_Leila_

* * *

All I can ever think about is the pain. The guilt. The anguish. I feel so hurt, but I know that if I show it to anyone, they might become hurt, too. They already have enough to deal with anyway.

If I ever showed up at the guild, I'd be shunned. After all, it was _my _parents who started all this. _They're_ the reason why we're alone. And they don't care. They didn't think about _us_, of course. I don't understand. Whenever I try, even if all I'm doing is _thinking _about it, I get so angry my emotions slide completely out of control. And frankly, I don't think I'm safe to be around. I should be in an asylum. But I'll do what I can to pretend I'm not as unstable as I am. God, what's _wrong_ with me? Why am I _like _this?

_They_ made me this way. They made all of us suffer. They made the others hate me. And the worst part of all is that I love the Guild too much to shove my own hurt in their faces, even if I know they look on me with such disdain.

I _might've_ been able to pull it off, at least, if it hadn't been for _him. _That damn… _Ugh!_

He always tries to talk to me, to catch me off-guard, to remind me of how miserable I am. As if I _needed_ reminding when it's all I ever think about! What the hell's he trying to prove? How pathetic and stupid I am? Ugh! What an _asshole! God,_ he can piss me off. It's not like I hate him, though. He… used to be my best friend. But then he started all _this_ crap, and… I really just can't handle it. So…it's not hard to imagine why I completely lost it and knocked him out when I found him kicking _one of my freaking shingles _off the roof.

* * *

_Neil_

* * *

This morning… felt odd. My bed felt different – bigger, and the sheets felt dry and scratchy. But it still felt nice and warm. It was as if I were in a different place.

That was not the oddest part, though. My entire body ached. My nose in particular felt as if it had been punched. I felt bruises, cuts, blood… and… _toilet paper?_

My eyes opened, and my face felt plastered, like someone had spilled water on it and it had dried. Everything looked blurry from sleep. My ribs felt sore and battered. I tried to sit up.

Bad idea. I was _way _too weak and shaky to even attempt. That, and I had a headache that throbbed and felt like it was trying to reach through the fog my eyes couldn't see through.

I rubbed my eyes. Better…. I mean, I could _see…. _But my head continued to throb.

Oh.

So _that's_ why everything seemed different. Because it _was. _Somehow, I'd ended up at Leila's house, in her bed…._Oh, that just sounds _wrong... _Huh? Wait a second- __What was I _doing _here?_

Then I saw her crumpled-up form in the corner as she rocked herself back and forth. She seemed to be remembering something painful, because her face looked stressed and unhappy.

Uh – oh. I _needed_ to remember. _What happened?_

Then I did. And it was _not _pleasant.

Something about Leila being so mad she knocked me out… and gave me a few injuries, too, because I wasn't thinking fast enough to transform into any of my weapons.

So _that's_ why she was rocking herself. She was shocked at herself. I sighed internally. _Why do you have to _do_ this to yourself, Leila? _God, it was a good thing she didn't know I was awake.

Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, closed, and she was humming some random tune to herself like a nutcase, but in perfect synchronicity to her constant rocking: _Back and forth, back and forth..._

I closed my eyes, pretending to sleep, but at the same time, I just needed to _move. _Great. As _soon _as I decide to pretend to be asleep, I get restless. So I moved on my side, and…. There.

Oh, good. She must not have noticed.

"Neil?"

_Fiddlesticks._

Her breathing was shaky. She _had_ to be really upset, and I felt guilty. _Why_ did I have to be so ignorant? I wouldn't have worried her if I hadn't gotten hurt and let her hit me.

I knew it was too late to pretend I was asleep, so I murmured, still just a _bit_ tired, "Yeah?"

She sighed, and walked up to the bedside. "Are you… okay?"

"Um… yeah," I lied. But I didn't try to sit up.

An awkward, uncomfortable silence followed.

She frowned. I didn't know if she knew how I really was right then or not, but she didn't like how I was acting.

"Tired?" Suspicious.

"Uh… yeah." Unconvincing.

She scowled, and I sighed in relief. "Is 'yeah' all you're going to say?"

I laughed. Big mistake. I started wheezing, and the bruises on my stomach started to hurt even more. Part of my shirt slipped up, and blood oozed through the cloth.

Leila gasped. "Oh, _God…"_

Her eyes darted around the room. "Uuuuuuhhhhh…" she said in a worried tone. I could tell she had no idea what to do. "Sh-should I get a bandaid or something? H-how do I—"

"Leila."

"Oh God. I'm an idiot. _Ugh!_" She stood up, wrangled her fingers through her messy, unbrushed strawberry hair, and started pacing. Her eyes looked lost.

"I'm okay," I tried to reassure her, struggling to sit up, but the pain just burned worse. I managed it, though. I _had_ to.

She turned on me, and I could see the fire flare dangerously in her eyes.

"Shut _up!"_

Yes, ma'am.

"You _liar! _Don't you _dare_ tell me you're okay when you're _NOT!_ GET IT?!"

"Well… it's just that it's not that—"

"Oh, _bull shit! _Shut up and tell me how the hell I'm supposed to fix you!"

I sighed. Wait a second…

"Leila… did you put _toilet paper _on my wounds?"

"Well you _know _I no _freaking clue _how to dress somebody's wounds!"

I almost laughed. "Okay, okay. Just get me some medical cloth and duct tape."

Leila froze.

"What?" I asked.

"What are you going to do with _that?"_

I sighed. "Please… Just…"

She looked lost again.

"What's… medical cloth?"

I sighed, again, but I was smiling. You poor, sweet, lost, adorable, misguided child.

* * *

_Leila_

* * *

"We need to talk."

"The hell we do."

"You're upset."

"You're a bitch."

Neil sighed.

I faithfully kept going through my parents's old drawers.

"What are you even doing?"

"Whatever it looks like."

"_God,_ you're irritating."

"Leave my house."

"But I'm still injured!"

"If you don't go, I'll throw you through the wall, and the ambulance can pick up what's left of you."

Neil groaned loudly. _"Why _are you so frustrating?!"

I turned around sharply. _"I'm _not the frustrating one! _You're _trespassing on my property!"

"First of all, I got _injured _on your property—" Neil started.

"No _shit,_ Sherlock."

"—and second of all, that's an empty threat."

I glared at him. Because he was right. I couldn't bring myself to do anything but swear him off, because I'd already hurt him, I couldn't bring myself to do it again, and he _knew it._ But _hell,_ that didn't mean I was going to kiss his feet and do whatever he wanted me to. I was _so _not going to talk to him, and guess what? He gets to deal with it.

Except he wasn't exactly giving up. Or cowering in the corner, like a good boy.

As I rummaged through the drawers, searching, I felt his hand try to grab my wrist, which I quickly shook away.

"Leila."

"Back off."

"Please."

"Jackass."

He sighed.

Pause. Long one.

"Leila?" he murmured finally. "Please talk to me?"

His voice was so enticing, so pure. It was like I was looking into puppydog eyes, except my _ears _were entranced, not my eyes. My heart started to thud _very _loud and insistently against my chest, like adrenaline had been rushing through my veins and it was trying to keep up.

"Did you hear me? Leila? Are you okay?"

"_No! I _am _NOT okay! _LEAVE ME THE HELL_ ALONE!_" I shouted, turning on him.

"Why do you keep telling me that? Is it because you're scared?" Neil demanded before I could say another word.

I froze. "It is not."

He raised his eyebrows infuriatingly.

"Urrgh!"

"If you agree to talk to me, I'll tell you a secret."

That made me stop. "What _kind_ of secret?" I asked suspiciously.

He smiled, making me frown. _Secrets, _huh? Damn, he's got me curious now. But how do I find out what it is without letting him know he's won?

I searched his eyes for a few moments. I… maybe I really needed to talk this out with him. And he'd tell me a secret, and I have a weak spot for those. _Stupid_ curiosity getting the better of me! But just then, I didn't really care.

I sighed. "Fine."

Neil raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?" Jeez, don't push your luck.

"No."

"Lei_la!" _he whined like a child (which, of course, caused me to relent.)

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, okay. I'll talk to you. But you have to let me do something first."

"What is it?"

"I have to look through these drawers."

"Why?"

"Maybe you'll find out. But then again, maybe you won't."

* * *

I rummaged through the drawers. It had to be here _somewhere, _damnit!

Then I found, hidden inside the chestnut drawers, a message, written in the blackest ink, entitled:

_Quest of Honor_

_Type: SS-Class_

It was dated exactly one year ago. The year my parents had disappeared.

_This_ was their forgotten message. The message I had to read.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

So, what do y'all think? I hope you like it. :D Be sure to let me know in the reviews! Thank you so much ILAUGHATYOUALL and HARUXELIE for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome! XD

I hope you're wondering, my readers, what's going to happen next, huh? I love cliffs. :) I'm so mean, aren't I? Because you don't get to read any more til I upload the next chapter! :P Hey, at least I'm uploading it. I'll get it done by the 22nd at the latest. (Maybe even earlier… hehehe, lucky you if I decide to do that. :)) Oh, and by the way, if you think that Leila swears too much, think about who her parents are… unless you haven't figured it out yet… in which case I would just keep waiting for the chapters to come out. So yeah. Thanks for reading!

* * *

**Preview**

_Next on the Children of Fairy Tail…_

Chapter 3: Secrets and Lies

_Nobody told me. Nobody told me how dangerous it was. Did it just not matter? Or did those people even know?_

So they had secrets, too, did they?

_…_

_I'm tired of this lying. I'm tired of this damned, stupid thing where people think it's noble to lie, when the truth is really that they can't admit that they just won't bring themselves to be honest._


	3. Secrets and Lies

_The Children of Fairy Tail_

Chapter Three: Secrets and Lies

* * *

_~Previously~_

If I ever showed up at the guild, I'd be shunned. After all, it was _my _parents who started all this. They're the reason why we're alone. And they don't care. They didn't think, of course. I don't understand. Whenever I try, even if all I'm doing is _thinking _about it, I get so angry my emotions slide completely out of control. I'm not safe to be around. I should be in an asylum. But I'll do what I can to pretend I'm not as unstable as I am. God, what's wrong with me? Why am I _like _this?

…

"If you agree to talk to me, I'll tell you a secret."

"What kind of secret?" I asked suspiciously.

He smiled. I frowned. _Secrets, _huh? Damn, he's got me curious now. But how do I find out what it is without letting him know he's won?

I searched his eyes for a few moments. I… maybe I really needed to talk this out with him. And he'd tell me a secret, and I have a weak spot for those. Stupid curiosity getting the better of me! But I didn't really care.

…

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, okay. I'll talk to you. But you have to let me do something first."

"What is it?"

"I have to look through these drawers."

"Why?"

"Maybe you'll find out. But then again, maybe you won't."

**Disclaimer: Uh… yeah.**

**Author's Note: **

This is a bit shorter than my other chapters. It's a filler, I guess. Sorry there's minimal humor here! But this is a very serious chapter, since it's beginning the bridge between the first part of the story and the next. After a few more chapters, we'll be moving on to Part Two. Aren't you excited? XD

I've been so tired lately…But I _have _to stay awake to write this, because there are people waiting on me! DX Thanks so much, guys, for your reviews!

I also want to thank ILAUGHATYOUALL for mentioning my story in her fanfic. She's awesome. ;)

Please review! And favorite, alert, etc…. :)

_**Part One: The Choice**_

_**Chapter 3: Secrets and Lies**_

* * *

_Leila_

_Liars, _I thought over and over. _Liars, liars, liars. You _lied_ to me. Why? _

Everyone seems to think it's okay to withhold the truth from me, to lie. Do they think they're protecting me by keeping me out of it? Is that it? But I already know the answer to that.

No.

They're protecting themselves from seeing my reaction. They 've been keeping secrets I never knew about. Well, I have a few secrets of my own. And I don't feel obligated to share them.

The paper I was holding shook in my hand. Dusty, obviously. It hadn't been touched since they….

Nobody told me. Nobody told me how dangerous it was. Did it just not matter? Or did those people even know?

_So they had secrets, too, did they?_

Well, maybe I could show them all up. But I needed to think about this carefully. _Very _carefully. Because if I made the slightest slip of the tongue, everything would be ruined.

* * *

_Neil_

I walked back into the room from my favorite (ha!) place: The roof. Well, actually, the place I could best avoid conflict with the easily offended _owner_ of the house, anyway.

"Are you done yet?"

"No! Do I _look _done?!"

Well… yes, she did. She wasn't really _doing _anything, after all. But like hell I was going to say _that_ out loud.

"What are you…_working…_on?"

Leila rolled her eyes.

"Have you found whatever it is you're looking for?"

She hesitated. "Yes."

"But you're not going to tell me what it is."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"It's about your parents, isn't it?"

Her eyes flashed, almost red. I'd just said the magic word.

"Look. I don't want to talk about them."

"You should."

"I don't care."

"You promised you would talk to me."

"I didn't promise I would talk to you about _that."_

I sighed. She really is impossible. But I had to do this, for her sake. Otherwise… I didn't even want to _think _about Otherwise.

"It doesn't matter. You need to talk about it, and the more you avoid it, the worse it's going to be when you finally do."

"And how do _you _know? Why do I have to? Like I said before, _it is none of your business, _blockhead."

The answer had been on the tip of my tongue for so long that I answered immediately. "Because you're upset."

"Whatever."

"Come on, Leila."

"You know what?" she demanded hotly, "I have a question."

"What is it?"

She pulled out a slip of paper, asking venomously, "Did you know about _this?"_

* * *

_Leila_

I can't believe this. He's just like them. Just like them all. Keeping secrets, telling lies. That's it. I can't trust him.

I'm going to make a decision, a choice. It will begin something that I'm not even sure I'm ready for. But like they say, if I wait until I'm ready, then I'll be waiting forever.

I'm going to search for answers to questions I've never dared to ask. I'm going to find the courage I never had, demolish the cowardice that will no longer plague me. I will never run away again.

I'm going to do something drastic. Something completely unexpected. I'm going to do something I'd never, in my entire life, dreamed I would do.

* * *

_Neil_

There's something she's not telling me, and I don't like it. Something important, but I just can't seem to tell what it is. She's lying; I can tell, but she's been hurt in the same way, so what can I expect? If you lie to someone, they'll learn to lie back. There is no honesty, and no respect in that. It's amazing what something like that can do to a person's life. It's like a once – beautiful, snow – white dove that has been tainted with mud and dirt. All she needs is to trust someone enough to become clean again. But she's scared, and afraid. She doesn't know how to trust.

Leila is the same way. She's messed up because of what happened to her, and scared that if she trusts someone again, she'll only be hurt. I have to show her that she's wrong. I have to teach to trust me, to trust anyone, somehow.

I'm tired of this lying. I'm tired of this damned, stupid thing where people think it's noble to lie, when the truth is really that they can't admit that they just _won't _ bring themselves to be honest.

I tell her she has to talk about it. I'll tell her no one means any harm, but I won't believe it, and she won't believe me. Why? Because we all mean each other harm, but we'll never admit it. Not until someone really, truly cares.

I wish I did.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Please review! And…Uh… don't really know what to say here, except…. I am _so_ keeping you on the edge, and it is ENTIRELY on purpose. :P

Oh, yeah. And I can't wait to write the other Children of Fairy Tail into the story! But it will have to wait…

**Preview**

_Next on the Children of Fairy Tail…_

Chapter 4: The Prophesy

"I stared at the piece of paper, uncomprehending. What did it mean? This message… and this feeling, deep in my chest? Was it… hope? Perhaps it was the hope that I had forgotten to feel for a very, very long time."


	4. The Prophesy

_The Children of Fairy Tail_

Chapter 4: The Prophesy

* * *

_Previously_

* * *

_I'm tired of this lying. I'm tired of this damned, stupid thing where people think it's noble to lie, when the truth is really that they can't admit that they just won't bring themselves to be honest._

_I tell her she has to talk about it. I'll tell her no one means any harm, but I won't believe it, and she won't believe me. Why? Because we all mean each other harm, but we'll never admit it. Not until someone really, truly cares._

* * *

**Disclaimer: Well…..I think I don't own Fairy Tail…I think…jk ;)**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Still a little suspense going on…:P One more chapter and we'll transition into Part 2! Yay. :)

Oh, and I'm _really_sorry about the wait. I let some very forgetful (aherm) person borrow my laptop, so I didn't have access to the doc I was working on… But it doesn't matter, cuz now I do! XD

Edit: UGH! Now it's gone AGAIN! Damn it. Well, I have limited access to the internet, so it might take a while to write this, (AND I'll be gone on vacation for the week), but I've at least got the doc. (Sigh)

Oh. That's just great. No internet. WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO? Ugh... You guys might not care, but I hate it when I update late... So thanks for being so darn understanding. :D

Oh, yeah. And Neil is soooo adorable! (If I do say so myself. XD 3

Wow. That is the most scatter-brained author's note I have ever _seen._

* * *

_**Part One: The Choice**_

_**Chapter 4: The Prophesy**_

* * *

_Leila_

* * *

I stared at the piece of paper, uncomprehending. What did it mean? This message… and this feeling, deep in my chest? Was it… hope? Perhaps it was the hope that I had forgotten to feel for a very, very long time.

* * *

_Neil_

* * *

I had a lot to think about. _She'd _given me a lot to think about.

More than anything in the world… Something I would never, ever, _ever _admit out loud…

I liked her. I mean, more than _like,_ I mean, crazy, I mean insanely….

Oh, God.

I don't even have the guts to _think _it.

I. Like—

_No, _don't say it like _that. _Just spit _the whole thing _out, dammit!

_But I can't._

_Why?_

_I don't know!_

"Agh!" I yelled out loud, tearing my hands through my hair. It was a nice day, if I wasn't thinking about _that _while sitting on my bed and looking out the window.

This was… _so_confusing. Well…. Not _confusing, _just… Oh, I don't _know!_

Which is why I had to think about it. _Had _to think about stuff that didn't make any sense on such a day where there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Well, except for that one peeking from the very corner of the window, which also (you'd never guess this, eh?) looked a lot like Leila's face.

I rubbed my temple. My head hurt.

Finally, I gave up, rested my chin on my hand, elbow resting on my knee resting on the edge of my bed, (which is not as awkward as it sounds), and groaned.

* * *

_~Flashback~_

"You know what?" she demanded hotly, "I have a question."

"What is it?"

She pulled out a slip of paper, asking venomously, "Did you know about _this?"_

I gasped. "Is _that…?"_

She studied my face. "Is that _what?"_

It was a… poem. But it wasn't just any poem, it was a _prophesy. _Prophesies held hidden magic, which only the fated persons written within could discover. I caught only a few words, but they were enough.

_Wielder of fire spirits… Child of fire and spirit…_

_It was talking about _her.

_~End Flashback~_

* * *

The truth was, I had never even _seen_ that prophesy before. But man, did I wish I had. It was probably a quest that had been chosen for Leila before she was ever born.

Leila didn't believe it. She whisked the paper away before I could snatch it, and… well, let's just say that was the end of the discussion….

Mostly because I was _really _sore…

But I just couldn't help wondering about it. There _had_ to be something upsetting in that prophesy, or she wouldn't be acting like this.

Would she? She was really upset….

I remembered thinking that maybe I could help her. I remembered her finally give in and agree to talk to me. I remembered when she'd managed to shoo me out by calling me a _pervert_…. What did she even call me that for? Getting sidetracked, but whatever….

A dark thought passed through my mind, silent as a snake, but my immediate internal reaction was as loud as a herd of elephants: _NO!_

"Think of something else…" I murmured, trying to get the not-so-clean image out of my head. "_Anything _else…"

Agh! Leila's right… I really _am _a pervert….

_Shut the hell up! _I told myself. You can't _think_ like that!

_Calm down. Breathe. Okay, back to business._

_I have see it. I _have_ to see that prophesy._

So I went to Leila's house. Even if it meant stealing the prophesy, I still had to find out what was in it.

If I knew what awaited me there, I would have gone ten times faster.

* * *

Her house. Her bedroom. Her desk. The prophesy. Her. She—

Something was wrong.

Her bed wasn't made. Her room was a disaster. Her closet was so filled with clothes that the door wouldn't close. Her dresser was so filled with anything _but _clothes that the drawers were inches from closing. Her bookshelf was cluttered with books she never read. Her desk was the only thing that looked organized. But what was I doing? Nothing was different.

No, that's a lie. To me, the difference was obvious.

It was the atmosphere.

She's not quiet. She has a presence that I can sense, an aura that only follows wherever she is.

_It's gone. She's not here._

_Damn it! Then where _is _she?_

I stood there, letting the silence scream like a drunken, crazed banshee, letting the wind roar in my ears like the whisper of a thousand wings.

Then I felt something as subtle as a shadow extending darkness across the earth; ever so slowly, an ugly, gnarled hand covered my soul, in the essence and form of a feeling.

It was panic.

I almost didn't notice the Paper. At the moment, I felt worried and empty. I was shocked, and filled with panic. Because it didn't make sense.

"Damn it!"

Variations of the phrase _where is she_ resounded in my head, like the great, huge Grand Organ playing in a church. Then I saw it, on top of that disorientingly – organized desk.

The Prophesy.

I didn't forget the urgency which gnawed at the edge of my mind, but I _was _distracted. This would probably be my only chance to see it. Leila probably wouldn't even let me look at it.

I began to read.

* * *

_Those of you who dare lay eyes upon the fate of those whose own fate does not thus intertwine, be warned,_

_And for those who do, likewise._

_For this scroll sets before mankind the secrets of souls, and exposes the tale of lies._

_Dear children of Fairy Tail, beware,_

_For this is your story; your fate._

_Here unfolds the tale which tells of eternal sleep, of death, and loss. _

_Here tells the story of hurt, of pain, strife, and love._

_Dear children of Fairy Tail, your fate may not be kind, but knowledge is only valuable if you are willing to accept it, _

_And clarity is interpreted by teller, and not that of the beholder._

_For the generation before your time has disappeared,_

_And the child of fire and spirit shall be the first to join them._

* * *

It was then that it clicked: I knew where she was.

* * *

**Author's Note: **

Not saying anything else, although dogammit it's TEMPING. DX

Next chapter is the last one! :D

…

Just kidding!

It _is _the last chapter for Part 1, though. :)

And no, the prophesy _isn't over ye_t. ;)

* * *

**Preview**

_Next on the Children of Fairy Tail..._

**Chapter 5: Shadows of Light**

_The shadows became more defined. Instead of a world of mostly light and a few shadows, I was looking at a world full of darkness with shadows of light. _


	5. Shadows of Light

_The Children of Fairy Tail_

**Chapter 5: Shadows of Light**

* * *

**_Previously_**

* * *

_I almost didn't notice the Paper. At the moment, I felt worried and empty. I was shocked, filled with panic. Because it didn't make sense. _

_"Damn it!"_

_Variations of the phrase where is she resounded in my head, like the great, huge Grand Organ playing in a church. Then I saw it, on top of that disorientingly – organized desk._

_The prophesy._

_I didn't forget the urgency which gnawed at the edge of my mind, but I was distracted. This would probably be my only chance to see it. Leila probably wouldn't even let me look at it._

_I began to read._

_…_

_"For the generation before your time has disappeared,_

_And the child of fire and spirit shall be the first to join them."_

_…_

_It was then that it clicked: I knew where she was._

* * *

**Disclaimer: I'm currently at court with Hiro Mashima, cuz he stole my ideas. Jerk.**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Sorry I haven't been updating very quickly lately. Stuff's going on. School and debate's picking up the pace. (Yeah, I debate, because I'm insane and I think I have the time for it.) And my head hurts because of it all. UGH.

Neil's head hurts, too. And Leila's. And all my yet-to-be-introduced characters's. And all the original story characters's. And Deroth's assistant's. But not Deroth's, because he's a jerk and thinks he has it all figured out. We'll see how well _that_ works out, Mr. Overconfident. Unless, of course, it _does _work… Ooh, that'd be interesting, now wouldn't it? :P

Warning: Slight creepiness in this chapter. ;)

* * *

_Leila_

I had read the Prophesy word-for-word, gleaning the meaning of every sentence and every paragraph, until I'd read it in its entirety. It wasn't easy to understand, but the information I gained was critical. And none of it was good.

My heartbeat started racing when I thought about it; what I would have to do, what I would have to endure. And… what I would be giving up.

The question was: Is it worth it? And the answer, so obvious that the question needn't even be asked, was: Of course.

My goal consumed all else. I had to save my parents. I didn't know what had happened to them, and I was going to find out no matter what.

But they were not forgiven.

They never would be.

I would never be over it, not in a million years.

That's why I had to bring them back, because I had something especially important to tell them.

I would also tell them all about the Guild and what they'd done to them, about how they were responsible for beginning the damned prophesy, and how it probably meant my days of walking across this earth were numbered. If I were 50% sane at the moment, then I would probably be over-my-head panicking. My death, after all, was looming in the near future, and possibly everyone else I cared about. But I was _not _50% sane. Key word: _Not. _That made a huge difference. Because if I were sane, I'd be much better at dealing with all of this. I could have helped the Guild pull through, could have controlled myself better, could have avoided… falling apart.

But that's not how it is.

I'm not going to pretend that what happened hasn't happened. I'm going to accept whatever fate gives me, even if I have to fight in order to change it. I'll change the future so this will _never _happen again. And I'll give my _parents _a little what-for.

I almost whistled as I went, something I liked to do with my dad before he and mom ran off together like overgrown children. I almost skipped as I reached up and ran my fingers through the autumn leaves of a tree arching over my path, the wind gliding through its branches. Yet I didn't. The world would have to wait for me to run around like a little kid in a candy store again – and I was afraid that it probably would never happen. But still— Leila Dragneel, daughter of Natsu and Lucy, was back. _Be afraid, world! _I wanted to shout. _I've made my decision. And I'm not changing it til I get what I want, and you won't stop me. Nobody will._

* * *

Deroth smiled _evilly_ (that's honestly the best word there is to describe him) down at the world— at a certain strawberry-haired girl in particular, actually. She had no _idea _what was in store for her, did she? _Typical. _He could understand her stereotype and predict her future decisions just by _looking _at her. The pathetic, crushed, hit-by-a-trainwreck-and-a-tragic-experience, i've-gone-goth girl. Maybe that was overdoing it a little, but that was the general vibe he got from her. Not that she isn't _cute, _Deroth thought sardonically.

She wore all black everything: knee high-black leather boots, black leather jacket, a black tank top and black cargo pants. Her face, though… didn't match the rest of her. Her hair was a mixture of flamingo-pink and bright yellow-blond, and her eyes were chocolate brown. The shape of her face was round and childish, but the look on it said if you got her way she would sue you— and she wasn't afraid to do so. But she was hiding something, too— the dark rings under her eyes from lack of sleep, the fear, the anger, the injured emotions that lay just beneath the surface of her outward appearance— these were all things Deroth overlooked. The only thing important was that she was what he considered an easy target.

And he wasn't wrong.

Emotions are the weakness of humans. They make what was once strong so fragile that if you hit it in just the right place, it falls apart. Leila was so close. So close to being crushed by emotions that clawed at her very heart and soul.

And Deroth knew it. He recognized all the signs, all the behaviors. He would ensure her death.

However, she was recovering. It was slow, but still, the pace moved forward. She had something to believe in, a goal, and a price she was willing to pay. She was becoming stronger again.

_It must be stopped. Quickly. _Or all his plans would fail.

He would have to do something drastic. _Now._

* * *

_Leila_

My good mood didn't last. Like all good things, it had an end. Nothing good has ever lasted for me, anyway. Nothing.

It wasn't so much what _happened _as what I _felt. _I don't understand it. It's… frightening.

I was in the marketplace, watching a little girl playing tag with her older brother through the streets. She was about three years old and had long, adorable brown hair. Her older brother looked about fifteen years old, but he seemed to be really enjoying himself. I couldn't help smiling at the scene, because it was just _so _sweet. I wish that _I _had that kind of relationship with my siblings.

That's when it happened.

I could have imagined it, but I don't believe it. I know I'm paranoid, but I just can't seem to accept that the things around me aren't always what's really happening.

Something cold, dark and finger-like seemed to creep just behind my heart and _grab _it. Almost instantly, the world began to look dark. Despite the sun spreading its glow on the world, it looked like I was only seeing the light through some kind of fog. It's hard to explain. Have you ever looked outside through a see-through curtain? It looked like that, blocking just a bit of light from my view. The shadows became more defined. Instead of a world of mostly light and a few shadows, I was looking at a world full of darkness with shadows of light.

It was so odd and so different from before that I felt frozen. My own thoughts changed. They were like daggers, teasing my insides until they bled; as if I was _bleeding_ from the inside out. It was if I were suffering physical pain, but no, it was purely emotional, and I _hated it. What was happening?_ My internal self— if that's even possible— felt like it was _dying. _As if my heart was clutched in some fingerlike darkness, a hand clasping my soul.

Dark thoughts ran through my head, strengthening the grip of the imaginary hand. They started with that first negative thought: _I wish that _I _had that kind of relationship with my siblings. _

Unwelcome memories rushed through my head, episodes, snapshots, images of things I had never wanted to think about again. Old wounds began reopening. The hands started to squeeze my heart.

_I cause pain to everyone I know._

_Why do I do that?_

_I shouldn't even be here._

_I wish I could just die._

With every thought that passed through my head, the hand squeezed harder. The pain became so unbearable that I doubled over, finding it hard to breathe.

I retched, coughing up spit. I was starting a commotion. People stared at me, first, then realized that something was terribly off about me.

"Hey! Is there something wrong?" I couldn't answer. I could barely hear them speaking. I vomited, and the crowd jumped back with a gasp, and the man who had spoken yelled in shock, "Oh, God! Get her to an inn! _Fast!" _

Before I completely lost consciousness, I thought about the others. I thought about my goal. I couldn't bear this alone. But I _couldn't _bring them into this. Oh, God, if there was ever a time I needed help, it was now. If there was ever a time where it was so dire that I ignored that need, it was now. Because this had to work, even if I never, ever came back.

Suddenly, all my senses gave in. I could no longer hear, see, or feel my surroundings anymore. And I saw something different.

A man's face. "This is what happens when you decide to defy me," he murmured, but I could hear every word painfully clear. His voice was like ice— it was frog-like croak, and hearing it was like scratching my own eardrums. I whimpered. I _hate _whimpering. It makes me sound helpless. But I couldn't control myself. All I knew was that this was the most terrible thing that had ever happened to me. "But you will learn more about that later," he continued, "I look forward to teaching you in the future." When he stopped speaking, I was able to focus. But I really wish I didn't. What I saw was his face, burned distinctly in my mind. I saw his eyes, and everything began to fade from view. But I remembered one thing:

_His eyes were as red as my blood._

* * *

_Neil _

"What?!" Mereda demanded, her arms straight as boards by her sides.

"It's not what you think—" I tried to explain, my hands out in front of me like shields.

"Then what _is_ it like?" Mereda asked, relaxing slightly. Her arms now resting on her hips. "Did you piss her off _again?_ God, you _suck_ at romance."

"What does that have to do with—" I sputtered, my face turning crimson. "And— and no, I don't!"

Mereda giggled, almost exactly like her mother Mira would.

Then she sighed, rolled her eyes, and said, "Alright, fine. I'll stop. But seriously, what happened to her?" She shook her finger at me teasingly. "Boyfriends should know _all the details_ when their girlfriends are in trouble."

"I— I'm not—" My face, if possible, turned even redder. _I'm going to kill you, Mereda!_

Fortunately I didn't have to endure the torture for very long. Claire stepped in. "Leave him alone, he's fine," she said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "He doesn't like _her_ anyway." Was it just me, or was there bitterness behind her words? And her grip seemed inordinarily tight.

"Hey, look, Leila needs our help. And I _do_ like her. She's my friend." I didn't add that Mereda had figured out I had a crush on Leila a _long_ time ago.

Claire pursed her lips. "Sorry. It's just, she never seems to _want_ help." Then she looked directly into my eyes and smiled. Her gaze made me feel uncomfortable. Her eyes were a bright blue, but somehow they also seemed dark. It was like staring into shadows of light.

I shook my head. It was getting fuzzy. "That's because nobody pays any attention to her." And I glared into those shadows of light with anger I couldn't describe. _What's gotten into _her_ lately?_

Mereda cleared her throat. "Alright, Neil," I turned to her gratefully. "Tell us all about it."

And I did. But I was afraid of what Claire had said._ It's just, she never seems to _want_ help._ What made you choose this, Leila? Why do you still think you can do this alone? Did you forget us, the Guild? Did you… did you forget me?

Well guess what, Leila? I'm making a choice of my own. I'll _never_ let you forget we're here to help. And I'll never, _ever_ let you forget that when you can't trust anyone else, I'll always be right here.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Isn't Neil _so _adorable? I know I said that before, but he just _is! _Originally, he wasn't going to be in this chapter, but my beta said he brought humor into my story, and it needed humor. She was right, of course. :)

So, how was it? Did you like the creepiness at the end? Who do you think Mereda and Claire's parents are? Let me know in your **reviews! **Thanks in advance!

* * *

**Preview:**

_Next on The Children of Fairy Tail..._

__Claire put her hand on my chest. My breath caught. _Oh, no, _I thought, _this is bad... _"Neil," she said, confirming my fear, "I... have something to tell you..."

_Please, no. Not after I just lost Leila._


End file.
